SPOILER ALERT - general Softimage 2013 description

[gfxman]

Well, maybe Softimage guys can comment on this.

I'll cut it here,i've done enough noise...
If you're happy about the presentation.... i've no problem with that.

[Memag]

Well, maybe Softimage guys can comment on this.

I'm getting tired about rant and polemics.
I'll quit it here, if you're happy about the presentation.... i've no problem with that.

I never said presentation made me happy. In fact I said that presentation probably didn't do justice to actual tools and features.
If they say they don't have resources I can't expect them to punch out those flashy videos for free in their free time, why would they?
Another thing is beta,company rules and agreements.

[calmasacow]

I think that was rendered in Arnold too.

On High Quality Viewport
It matches almost perfectly what you get in the final render (with expetion of complitcated stuff like GI, Arealights and Refraction) and it got some nice stuff like DOF and AOC. The DOF is really nice to adjust it as I work, as I prefer the look of raytraced DOF over the sceenspace plugins that are out there.
Performance wise the videos hint at a lag when turning features on or switching inbetween modes. But have you tried Max's viewport?
It does have the same behaviour. Whenever you switch inbetween modes it needs to do something with the realtime shaders, and that seems to take some time. Now if that happends when panning and rotation around it will be a bit frustrating. Anyhow you might not use this while you are modeling/animating/whatever, but you can now capture a preview in this mode, and I'll bet your clients will feel a lot more confortable with the output.

On CrodFX
I am not doing crowd stuff in SI, and I dont know if I ever will, some people are...

Ive worked at places where crowd scenes were done, but we never did it using 3d. It was always up to the compositing wizards as we tagged this as beign "not pratical" to do in 3d. So this opens the door for new possibilities. When ICE was released I was also saying "hey Ill never use this".
Considering Suites, Im sure a lot of people from Maya/Max might go CrowdFX if issues with FBX have been minimized and if theyre AI needs are not super high. So, a good thing to keep the product alive and relevant.
To finish it of, some of the inner compounds and stuff might be usefull outside such a specific content, but as with HQV, we need to get our hands dirty to get a better feel what this is all about.

On everything else
-Mentalray implementation seing no update feels very said. Maya people (finally) got BSDF shaders. This would be nice to have here also. I still think even a well implemented MR wont save your ass (if you know what I mean ;) ), but since people are paying for it, would be expected to have most up-to-date features implemented.
-I hope References are usable. With render passes, deltas and all that.

[Bellsey]

I think you're listening to the wrong requests. But that's just me opinion.
True, maybe it's just me and some other people, that can't really see the use for the crowd think.
But i think (because i read it every day on the softimage forums....) that a lot of people care about modelling, texturing and rendering improvements most.
Just an opinion, maybe we can make a poll.

Many people do want those features but you also have to understand about resource and time. We do various meeting and exercises to determine what people actually want.
You mention modelling, texturing and rendering, they're just 3 areas that can be broken down into various sub levels of features. Its easy to say that you want all three, but lets assume you only have resource to do one, which one would you choose and how do you make that decision? Its not quite as easy as you might think.

I'm sorry.
The biggest 3d company, the monopolist of 3d word, doesn't have the resource to make more then 2 videos? The situation must be really bad.
I think that the best thing you can do, is to recognise that the presentation job hasn't be done properly, take some time and effort to make it better.

This might come as a surprise but Autodesk doesn't have bottomless pits of money, like any business we all work to within budgets, etc. Also, without sounding patronising, I'm not sure many realise how Autodesk works, its a big company. Luxology's videos look great, and I'm not disputing that, but its a smaller company with one product.
As of yesterday, we had 8 products on the AREA page all lined up at the same time, with all the same materials. We also have provide materials to our channel partners as well, all at the same time. And thats just the M&E stuff, there's still the rest of Autodesk as well, the part that makes up the majority of the revenue.

I have said all that I can on this subject, I know how things might look on the outside and it can frustrating but I have been as truthful as I can be and yet people just don't believe me, lol. Therefore calling it quits on this as I literally can't say anything more here, that I've already said. If anyone here works in London Soho and want to chat to me about it, then let me know and pop by the office and I can try and explain things perhaps a little clearer.

[gfxman]

Many people do want those features but you also have to understand about resource and time. We do various meeting and exercises to determine what people actually want.
You mention modelling, texturing and rendering, they're just 3 areas that can be broken down into various sub levels of features. Its easy to say that you want all three, but lets assume you only have resource to do one, which one would you choose and how do you make that decision? Its not quite as easy as you might think.

Rendering, the biggest complain in years.

This might come as a surprise but Autodesk doesn't have bottomless pits of money, like any business we all work to within budgets, etc. Also, without sounding patronising, I'm not sure many realise how Autodesk works, its a big company. Luxology's videos look great, and I'm not disputing that, but its a smaller company with one product.
As of yesterday, we had 8 products on the AREA page all lined up at the same time, with all the same materials. We also have provide materials to our channel partners as well, all at the same time. And thats just the M&E stuff, there's still the rest of Autodesk as well, the part that makes up the majority of the revenue.

I'm sorry, again. You don't need piles of money to make 10 presentation videos, come on....
You're very polite and i don't want to offend you in any way. But, as softimage user, i don't care about the other 8 product, and the softimage page is way worst then maya's, for example. (not being that beautyfull bytheway...)
You're hurting your business, not me.

[Kzin]

I think that was rendered in Arnold too.

i cant speak for the whole film but the shots lumapictures did were done in mr with ibl and mostly fg for indirect lighting.

[luceric]

As for the web pages, I actually think they look good and alot better than previous years[...]

It's not opinion time anymore.
This is simply not true. The 2 pages are the worst "new feature and product" presentation i've seen in years. There is no way this is an opinion, it is a fact. You can see how the maya one have more video and share more love about the release. Even the 2011/2012 has more then 2 videos ( actually 6 : http://area.autodesk.com/softimage2011 )

This is mark posts for 2011 / 2012
http://area.autodesk.com/blogs/marks/in ... e_modeling
http://area.autodesk.com/blogs/marks/in ... with_lagoa

.

there aren't just two videos.
there are 7 videos for Softimage 2013. You're purposely not looking at the same place.
http://area.autodesk.com/blogs/marks/softimage_2013
full feature list, too!

btw that first link (http://area.autodesk.com/softimage2011) is for 2012 and that page was updated long after the release day launch, if I recall. The videos are always first on Mark's blog. The new Area launch page is more nifty looking than the previous simplistic black-and-white pages on the autodesk.com

[gfxman]

As for the web pages, I actually think they look good and alot better than previous years[...]

It's not opinion time anymore.
This is simply not true. The 2 pages are the worst "new feature and product" presentation i've seen in years. There is no way this is an opinion, it is a fact. You can see how the maya one have more video and share more love about the release. Even the 2011/2012 has more then 2 videos ( actually 6 : http://area.autodesk.com/softimage2011 )

This is mark posts for 2011 / 2012
http://area.autodesk.com/blogs/marks/in ... e_modeling
http://area.autodesk.com/blogs/marks/in ... with_lagoa

.

there aren't just two videos.
there are 7 videos for Softimage 2013. You're purposely not looking at the same place.
http://area.autodesk.com/blogs/marks/softimage_2013
full feature list, too!

btw that first link (http://area.autodesk.com/softimage2011) is for 2012 and that page was updated long after the release day launch, if I recall. The videos are always first on Mark's blog. The new Area launch page is more nifty looking than the previous simplistic black-and-white pages on the autodesk.com

Look at my previouse posts, i've linked that page with 7 videos.... do you think they represent well the new features in softimage 2013?
If you think i'm pointing at "the look" of the pages (they're prettier without doubts) and not to the content?
I don't care if its a black page with white text, i care about the new features and the video and images you use to show them.
I feel this discussion is surreal, are we really talking about the design of the pages? O_O

Bytheway...again: it's not my problem, its yours.
If you think you made a good product presentation, that's fine.

[Nizar]

gfxman@ I have some your feeling. but I think, also, is just useless your lamentation. I bet next year will see the some scene and models for showing new feature I remember the bike from 2010 release (correct me if not)
I believe Besley reason about, but really, seems strange a big company put less resource then little one in marketing (or must say in this little thing). Another point, IMO, is AD monopolized the market, if the new release presentation is a bit ugly, who care? Where is the competitors? And no, modo, is not a competitor...

[fabilabo]

This might come as a surprise but Autodesk doesn't have bottomless pits of money, like any business we all work to within budgets, etc. Also, without sounding patronising, I'm not sure many realise how Autodesk works, its a big company. Luxology's videos look great, and I'm not disputing that, but its a smaller company with one product.
As of yesterday, we had 8 products on the AREA page all lined up at the same time, with all the same materials.

=> sorry for sarcasm, but WHY you bought softimage if you have too much softwares to manages ?? that is a joke ?
I just wonder how much money earn the boss and all action boys by years... a softimage licence is aprox 10% of my years eared income, just like that btw

I don't say anything about 2013, but please, don't say things like that, 8 softwares = 8 departements =8x mores coders = oh, 8x more incomes

[fabilabo]

(i really don't envy you to work at AD, really)

[Fer]

I think the reason behind those week improvements is related of the size of the Softimage team, and the short time updates interval (SAP). We asked for 18 months development period we got a 6 one.

Concerning features and presentation the Softimage release is by far the less impressive one, I'm sure everybody agree with me.

[gfxman]

gfxman@ I have some your feeling. but I think, also, is just useless your lamentation. I bet next year will see the some scene and models for showing new feature I remember the bike from 2010 release (correct me if not)
I believe Besley reason about, but really, seems strange a big company put less resource then little one in marketing (or must say in this little thing). Another point, IMO, is AD monopolized the market, if the new release presentation is a bit ugly, who care? Where is the competitors? And no, modo, is not a competitor...

That's ok for me, i understand that's pointless complaining, but what i can't stand is someone trying to sell copper for gold.

[fabilabo]

I think the reason behind those week improvements is related of the size of the Softimage team, and the short time updates interval (SAP). We asked for 18 months development period we got a 6 one.

Concerning features and presentation the Softimage release is by far the less impressive one, I'm sure everybody agree with me.

ok, but where is the old developper of XSI team ?? where ?

[SreckoM]

I guess that team is smaller than it was before AD acquisition?
I heard that Holger went to SideFX.

[Nizar]

I guess that team is smaller than it was before AD acquisition?
I heard that Holger went to SideFX.

The team is smaller? I remember the redundant position was dismissed, but also remember AD adding some people at the original team because release 2010 going very well and SI was a best seller.

Who is Holger?